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[Chapter 6 - Yellow Flickering Embers]
[Season 1 - Reluctant Heroes]
Our great heroes have found themselves in the worst possible place a teenager of their age could be in. A hell on Remnant known to all men and women, Faunus and humans alike. It is a prison of pain and eternal headache and boredom. It is... the classroom with the coffee cocaine addict Doctor Oobleck. Remember, this place is still a school, it's not all bullets, blood and screams... well maybe some screams. Most of the SQUAD™ was split into different classes, as Beryl, Uller, Velvet, Weiss, Blake, Ruby, Pyrrha, Jaune and Cardin sat around in the class attempting to grasp onto any word that launched out of Oobleck's mouth.
Jaune rested his head on his arms, possibly sleeping, possibly crying, all the same. Pyrrha sat next to him, glancing worriedly at her leader while also attempting and struggling to take notes as Cardin sat behind Jaune, throwing crumpled up papers at the blond boy, like a fucking elementary student. Weiss meanwhile was perfectly understanding what Oobleck was spewing, taking notes at speeds that would put Beryl to shame. Blake had her textbook in front of her, but surprise, it was actually her "totally not porn" book with the covers switched with her textbook, a truly masterful plan if I do say so myself. Beryl was casually on his phone browsing memes, laughing at the weirdly absurd Gen-Z memes, with Ruby next to him looking at his phone while chuckling at the funny shit he scrolled through. Lastly and maybe least, who knows, Uller was reading through a manga he stole from Beryl's bookshelf known as Chainsaw Man, a fucking fever dream of a manga, but it is as we in the business like to call it: "Rawness and Swag".
Oobleck: "Yes! Yes, prior to the, more popularly known as the War, humankind was quite adamant about centralizing the Faunus population in Menagerie. Now! While this must feel like ancient history to many of you, it is imperative to remember that these are relatively recent events! Why the repercussions of the uprising can still be seen to this day! Now! Have any among you been subjugated or discriminated against because of your Faunus heritage?"
At the sound of Oobleck's question, Velvet among a few other Faunus students raised their hand. Suddenly, as Velvet lowered her hand, she heard a light thud sound come from her desk. Looking down, she saw a Kit-Kat bar had landed on top of her textbook with a note reading "My debt has been repaid ('・ω・｀)" she blinked and saw Beryl dumbly waving at her from the left side of the room. She meekly gave him a small wave in response before sweat dropping when Ruby slammed Beryl's head against the desk, leaving a small hole in it, as Uller gave a hearty laugh and cheered her on. Oobleck continued to use his own version of shunpo to zip around the classroom faster than Beryl while drinking his LSD-laced coffee.
Oobleck: "Dreadful, simply dreadful! Remember students, it is this exact type of ignorance that breeds violence among us as a society! Now, which one of you young scholar's can tell me what many theorists believe to be the turning point in the third year of the war?"
Weiss: "I can!"
Beryl: "Neeeeerd!"
Weiss: "Shut your trap!"
Oobleck: "Silence, Mister Roux! Miss Schnee, please continue."
Beryl: "okay damn..."
Uller: "Pfft!"
Weiss: "Ahem, the battle at Fort Castle!"
Oobleck: "That is correct! Can anyone tell the advantage the Faunus had over General Lagoon's forces?"
Cardin being the bitch of the class, and not the kind that will suck your dick in the school bathroom and is actually hot but the annoying fucktard that would fart into your AC while you're chilling on your bed, flicked a paper ball at Jaune's head, startling him from his life-reflecting moment and making him yell. This alerted the predator of the class, Oobleck. The two locked eyes and one could hear a slight whimper leave Jaune's lips.
Oobleck: "Mister Arc, finally contributing to class?! EXCELLENT! What is the answer?"
Beryl: -whispering- "They had catgirls."
Jaune: "What? Catgirls?"
Jaune's accidental answer wasn't as correct as he had hoped, even though he was technically correct, catgirls are Faunus. The entire classroom erupted into laughter, the loudest ones being Cardin, Beryl and Uller, although Beryl stopped due to Ruby and Pyrrha slapping the back of his head.
Oobleck: "Close but not quite right! Cardin! Perhaps you would like to share your thoughts on the subject?"
Cardin: "Well I know it's a lot easier to train an animal than a soldier."
Beryl: "That's why you failed elementary school."
Uller: "They probably didn't even fucking let him through the front gate. Massive creep vibes radiating from him."
Cardin: "What?! You got a problem, you tomato bitch?!"
Uller: "Problem? Nah, I have enough of those next to me here. What I do have is the correct answer: Night vision. Most Faunus are known to have nearly-perfect vision within the dark."
Blake: "General Lagoon was inexperienced and made the mistake of trying to ambush the Faunus in their sleep. His army was destroyed and he was captured."
Beryl: "Nerds, nerds everywhere."
Blake: "Perhaps if he paid attention in class he wouldn't be remembered as a failure."
Beryl: "Is that a personal attack-"
Cardin: "WHY YOU LITTLE-"
Oobleck: "Mister Winchester, please sit down. You and Mister Roux, and Mister Arc-"
Jaune: "Aww..."
Oobleck: "-Can all see me after class for additional readings."
Beryl: "Bullocks!"
Uller: "Fookin bri'ish?"
Oobleck: "MISTER ROUX!"
Beryl: "Cock."
Oobleck: "HOW MANY TIMES WILL I HAVE TO DO THIS?!"
Beryl: "Doctor Oobleck, I've come to bargain. Will you let me off the hook if I offer you this Kit-Kat bar?"
Oobleck: "...I expect an essay from you on my table by tomorrow on the pages fifty-nine to ninety-one."
Beryl: "CUNT!"
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After the admittedly and officially most annoying lecture of all time, Beryl, Jaune and Cardin were all allowed to leave the classroom. Pyrrha was waiting for her troubled friend while Ruby was waiting for her headache-inducing "friend". The three walked out of the classroom with Cardin pushing Jaune down and Beryl sneaking a flashbang into Cardin's pocket as he walked away.
Beryl: "Hey guys, nice of you to wait for us."
Ruby: "We are pals after all, so, did you get yelled at?"
Beryl: "Yup!"
Jaune: "...yep..."
Pyrrha: "Honestly I am considering beating the lights out of Cardin right now."
Beryl: "Punch his lights out and watch him hit the pavement, now that's some entertainment."
Uller: -ring- -ring- "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
Beryl: "How the fuck? Stalker! By the way, where the hell are you?"
Uller: "That's for me to know and for you to find out. Anyway! Sayonara, King Julien." -beep-
Beryl: "Bye-bye, Mort."
Jaune: "... Did Uller call you just to get you to stop? Literally, how did he know?"
Beryl: -finger snap- "Yes!"
Ruby: "...Moving on, Cardin is a bully and something should be done about him."
Beryl: "You don't say. Wanna jump him?"
Pyrrha: "...Not yet."
Beryl: "Oh yeah I left a present in his pocket."
Jaune: "A present...?"
-BANG-
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! NOT THIS SHIT AGAIN!!"
Ruby: "... Another flashbang?"
Beryl: "Hue-hue Yep!"
Ruby: "Nice."
Beryl: "Soooooo what we gonna do?"
Ruby: "We should probably catch up with others, don't wanna be late."
Jaune: "You guys go on ahead, I uh, have to take a breath of fresh air."
Pyrrha: "I'll come with you."
The group of four split up and walked in different directions, as Pyrrha and Jaune headed towards the balcony, Ruby and Beryl walked away towards the cafeteria for some quick food. Beryl was feeling quite hungry after a long while of being lectured and roasted. While Ruby and Beryl idly chatted with one another, Pyrrha and Jaune were having a completely different conversation on the rooftop, and it wasn't the "I like you, go out with me" kind of talk, but something else entirely.
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The two JNPR members arrived at the rooftop of one of the dorm buildings, the sky had darkened and the day became late evening. A marvellous view of the encompassing terrain shining underneath the broken moon's light, aided by the central tower of Beacon majestically reaching to the sky painting the surroundings a beautiful shade of green and blue. Looking over the edge of the building, Jaune opened the conversation with a sarcastic yet fearful remark.
Jaune: "Pyrrha, I know I'm going through a tough time right now, but I'm not THAT depressed... I can always, I don't know, become a farmer or something."
Pyrrha: "Huh?... OH N-N-NO NO-NO! That's not why I wanted to talk to you!... Jaune, I know you're having a lot of difficulty in class, and that you're still not the strongest fighter so... that's why I want to help you!"
Jaune: "Wh-what?"
Pyrrha: "We can train up here after class, or study together. We are a team, so we must be there for each other!"
Jaune: Do you really think I need help?"
Pyrrha: "N-no! That's not what I meant at all!"
Jaune: "But you just said that..."
Pyrrha: "Jaune, everybody needs a little push from time to time. It doesn't make you any different from the rest of us. Everyone starts at the same point. I mean, you made it into Beacon Academy! That speaks volumes of what you're capable of already!"
Jaune: "... No... you're wrong! I... I don't belong here..."
Pyrrha: "That's a terrible thing to say Jaune! Of course, you do!"
Jaune: "No I don't!! I... I wasn't really accepted into Beacon..."
Pyrrha: "Wha... What do you mean by that?"
Jaune: "It means that I didn't go to any combat school, that I didn't pass any tests, that I didn't EARN my spot at this Academy! I lied!! I got access to some fake transcripts and I lied!!"
With a heavy lament fueled by overwhelming guilt and self-anger, Jaune fully admitted to cheating his way into one of the most prestigious combat academies. Nothing but the calm evening late night breeze could be heard through the deafening silence, as neither Jaune nor Pyrrha knew what to say or how to continue forth. Unbeknownst to either of them, during the two's sentimental conversation, a quick orange spark lit on the top of one of the roofs around them followed by a puff of light grey smoke rising from the shadows. Relaxing under the moonlight, out of anyone's sight or knowledge was none other than Uller Solreign. Wishing to get a moment of peace from his insane brother's antics, Uller had come to the rooftops to calm himself down and get lost in memories, however, his peaceful reminiscence was cut abruptly by the blond boy's yelling. Lifting his cap and opening his tired golden eyes, Uller would be lying if he said he hadn't heard what Jaune was saying and wanted to know more.
Uller: "sigh... And here I thought I would finally get to enjoy some quiet time... Although, I suppose some minor eavesdropping isn't too bad, they are quite loud, to begin with."
After a few long seconds, Pyrrha finally broke the silence and decided to ask the all-important question:
Pyrrha: "But... why?"
Jaune: "Because this has always been what I've wanted to do... My father, grandfather, his father before him and so forth have all been warriors. They were all heroes! And I wanted to be one as well... I was just never good enough..."
Pyrrha: "Then let me help you!"
Jaune: "NO! I don't want help! I don't want to be the damsel in distress! I want to be a hero as well!"
Pyrrha: "Jaune, I-"
Jaune: "I'm tired of being the lovable little idiot who's stuck in the tree while his friends fight for their lives! Don't you understand?! If I can't do this on my own... then what good am I?"
Pyrrha: "..."
Jaune: "Just... just leave me alone... okay?"
Pyrrha: "... If that is what you think is the best... alright..."
Walking away with her head hung low, Pyrrha felt truly hopeless not being able to help her leader, her teammate, her friend. Not even looking back, Jaune stands solemnly as Pyrrha's footsteps get farther and farther away until they were gone completely. Shaking his head, Uller exhaled a puff of smoke in disappointment. Seeing Jaune shift from a sombre brat to an idiotic brat in such a quick session left Uller with a bitter taste in his mouth, so bad that he threw his cigarette off of the roof, quickly incinerating it before it managed to get even a bit further away.
Uller: "sigh... You god-damned idiot... Hm? Oh, you piece of shit bird, of course, you would be here as well."
Jaune paces around the roof, not knowing what to do or how to continue, he fails to notice the big bad bitch climb up from his room to the roof, until his mocking laughter wakes Jaune from his mindless thoughts. Turning around in shock, Jaune comes face to face with the walking talking shitstain that is Cardin Winchester.
Cardin: "Oh, Jaune Jaune Jaune..."
Jaune: "Wh-What?! Cardin?!"
Cardin: "I couldn't help but overhear you two from my dorm room. So, you snuck into Beacon, eh? I gotta say, Jaune, I never expected you to be such a bad boy!"
Jaune: "Please, Cardin... Please don't tell anyone!"
Cardin: "Jaune, come on! I would never rat on a FRIEND like that!"
Jaune: "A... a friend?"
Cardin: "But of course! We're friends now, Jauney boy! And the way I see it, as long as you're there for me when I need you, we'll be friends for a LONG time. That being said... I really don't have time to do those extra readings Dr Oobleck gave us today. Think you could take care of that for me, buddy?"
Jaune: "I..."
Cardin: "That's what I thought! Don't worry, Jaune; your secret's safe with me~"
As Cardin leaps off of the rooftop and, no he does not splatter into dozens of pieces on the pavement, I wish, but no he just lands back in his dorm room. Jaune is now left alone on the rooftop to gaze at the broken moon and truly reflect on what just happened and what he had done. Rubbing his neck, Jaune lets out a slight whimper and turns around, wishing to just sleep off the day and beg that these events were nothing but a bad dream. However, his walk back to his room was cut short by the appearance of Uller in front of Jaune, blocking the exit off of the roof. Landing in front of the door, creating a slight wind current that blew back Jaune's hair, he was once again shocked to find out another soul had heard what transpired.
Jaune: "U-Uller?! Wha-What are you... How much did you hear..."
Uller: "Basically everything, you were really goddamn loud."
Jaune: "... Oh... so, are you going to blackmail me as well?"
Uller: "Damn, you're really fucked up. The answer is a no, I'm just here to reaffirm some things. So, a quick summary of what the hell just happened: You confessed to Pyrrha, and not the good and funny kind, but that you cheated your way into Beacon, that you want to be the protagonist and that you don't need any help. Then after pushing your friend away, you got backed into a corner by the literally stereotypical bully, and now you are his bitch. Did I miss anything, cause I'm pretty sure I didn't?"
Jaune: "I... yeah, that was pretty much everything..."
Uller: "Good, now that we are both on the same page, what are you going to do next?"
Jaune: "What?"
Uller: "What is your plan, Golden boy? You stubbornly pushed your best possible help away cause you want to stroke your own dick and be something you aren't capable of on your own. You pushed away not only your aid but also your goddamn friends and teammates and now you're forced to help your "friend". Watching you act both pretentious and melancholic at the same time is really starting to piss me off!"
Jaune: "..."
Uller: "If it was me, I would have beat the shit out of that sickly mass of flesh fattened sin and threatened to push him off the roof if he doesn't keep his mouth shut. But you're not me, thankfully, so let me ask you again beneath the North Star: What! Are! You! Gonna! Do?!"
Getting closer and closer to Jaune, Uller reached out with his right arm and took hold of Jaune's collar. Bringing him closer and forcing Jaune to look him in the eyes, Uller's bright golden eyes glared straight through Jaune's eyes into his poor soul. However, there was no bloodlust or hostility in those golden eyes, just purely curiosity, determination and a bit of annoyance, it is Uller after all. Jaune attempts to steel his nerves and look away, but can't hold his frustration much longer. Jaune grabs Ullers wrist, the hand which was holding his collar, with both hands and lets out all of his anger and desperation.
Jaune: "I... I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, OKAY!! You're right, I messed up really really badly! I pushed my friend away and now I'm in deep shit! I know! I'm not strong or confident like everyone else, I'm just a weak, scared loser. So tell me Uller: WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?!?!"
Once again, a quiet sombre silence fell upon them, Jaune shaking while Uller remained unchanged until he heard a hearty laugh come from the menacing man in front of him. Letting go of his collar, Uller lifted the cap of his hat to show a large smirk
Uller: "Hehehe...Hahahahahah! Look at you, finally getting off of your high horse and deciding to ask for help! Well Jaune, if you really want a truthful answer: Make him acknowledge you."
Jaune: "Wh-what? Acknowledge me? What does that mean?"
Uller: "Cardin is a basic bitch Highschool bully. He acts superior to others weaker than him because he knows they won't fight back. So that's why you need to show him you aren't someone he can mess with."
Jaune: "But... you saw how easily I lost to him. How do I even manage that?"
Uller: "The easiest way is to just beat the shit out of him, but you're really weak. Like really damn weak. I don't know, save his life, kill an Ursa, fuck his mom, just do something. I can't think of a reason that you are capable of, but that's why YOU need to figure that one out!"
Lightly tapping Jaune on the chest with his finger, Uller gave the best possible advice he could think of and bother to give. Turning around and beginning to walk away from the roof, Uller gave one last look at Jaune and gave him a nod with a small smirk.
Walking inside through the door on the roof, Uller managed to walk down a few steps before stopping and with a low and quiet voice addressed someone hiding from view.
Uller: "Anger and hate are good motivators... or do you disagree, you damn wizard?"
Without even turning his head, Uller lifted the cap of his beret and stared at the Headmaster of Beacon Academy, Professor Ozpin. He was standing next to the doorway, hidden within the late-night darkness, while sipping from his iconic cup. Meeting Uller's eyes, the two stared at each other, a glare meeting a quiet smile. The only noise that could be heard was an old Grandfather clock behind Ozpin, slowly ticking towards midnight, acting as background noise.
Ozpin: "While I cannot say you didn't light a fire underneath him, did you have to be so aggressive with Mister Arc?"
Uller: "Aggressive? What do you mean, all I did was search for his flickering embers and add a little fuel. What he needs to do is keep his fire going."
...Tick...
...Tock...
Ozpin: "You may have introduced some hope into his soul, you may have also unintentionally pushed him to enact drastic measures."
Uller: "Oh, don't you dare put words into my mouth, you piece of shit. What I want is for others to strive to become a stronger version of themselves, they are much more interesting then. If he goes too far, I'll just step in. I don't need him to turn into some bullshit Disney villain."
...Tick...
...Tock...
Ozpin: "Are you truly confident Mister Arc won't go down the path of hatred? Don't get me wrong, you did manage to get him out of his despair, but I know how easily people can become corrupted."
Uller: "Hehehe, just look at the man, he isn't smart nor strong, but most importantly, his flame is disgustingly bright. I'm not sure if he's able to even produce any bloodlust. But even though I said I'll step in, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one."
...Tick...
...Tock...
Ozpin: "Heh, that is correct, nobody here is truly alone. I take back what I said Mister Solreign, you really do remind me of your mother."
...Tick...
...Tock...
...Tick...
...Tock...
...Ti-
-WHOOSH-
As the old grandfather clock behind the two hit midnight, with a slight gust of wind and a small trail of steam, a knife of flaming metal wrapped around Ozpin's throat and threatened to slice it open. Uller had disappeared from in front of Ozpin and somehow appeared perfectly behind him with a flaming blade in hand, without the good professor's notice.
Uller: "Do continue dear professor, I would love to hear more of what you were going to say."
Ozpin: "Now now, Mister Solreign, let's not get too hasty here, we wouldn't want to disturb the students' slumber."
In a similar small gust of wind, quicker than the eye can track, Ozpin appeared behind Uller in a similar stance with his cane pointed to his neck. Uller however, was also quick on the draw. Turning around before Ozpin began to move, aiming his knife directly pointing at Ozpin's neck as well. The two stood still in a standstill, neither one moving a muscle or saying a word. That was until Ozpin lowered his cane and gave a small laugh. Uller lowered his weapon as well, not because he wanted to, but because Ozpin destroyed his knife in a swift motion with his cane.
Ozpin: "Do not worry Mister Solreign, all I know is that your mother attended Beacon Academy and was an excellent student, both physically and academically. I can clearly see some of her qualities in you."
Uller: "And I can very fucking clearly see you are hiding a lot of information, and I will get to the bottom of all of it. And while it would be entertaining to fight you, I don't want to bother with a battle I know I would lose, and destroy this entire place."
Ozpin: "It certainly would be an entertaining battle, but it is getting rather late, isn't it. All will be revealed in due time, have patience, even if you are a Solreign"
Uller: "Tsk... Jesus fuck, you're cryptic as hell..."
Ozpin: "Haha, so I've been told."
Uller: "Welp, Imma go rest now, encouraging someone like Jaune takes a lot out of you."
Ozpin: "Sleep well Mister Solreign, you did well today."
Uller: "Bye~"
Uller started to walk away while exhaling a plume of smoke from his mouth, which shaped itself to mimic his previous word. Giving another smile, Ozpin turned around and began walking away, presumably towards the top of the tower, as he always does. Uller continued his walk, but not before quickly throwing a flaming card towards the back of Ozpin's neck, which was immediately countered by the swing of his cane, without even bothering to turn around. Scowling, Uller decided to just give in to his sleepiness and head towards his dorm.
Upon entering the room, Uller was met with the sight of his half-brother Beryl passed the fuck out on his bed, half-naked with a volume of the latest edition of "I can't believe it's not Hentai!" flat open on his face. Resisting the urge to light the book on fire, Uller was too tired to care and without giving another glance, changed into his pyjamas and promptly fell right asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.
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It was the dawn of a new day and our reluctant heroes- fuck off!... god damn, sorry, anyway... have found themselves walking through the densely grown forest of crimson trees known as the Forever Fall with the rest of their class. Glynda Goodwitch, the instructor of this assignment, was leading the group of Team BEUL, RWBY, JNPR, CRDL and other teams we aren't going to name, cause why would the show create memorable and important characters that were going to contribute to the plot and weren't going to just disappear halfway through the story... sorry, let that one slip out.
Glynda: "Yes yes students, the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful. However, we aren't here for sightseeing. Professor Peach has asked us to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest, and I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so."
Ruby looked excited and mesmerized by the scenery, I mean c'mon, it's a fucking red forest, holy shit that actually looks really cool. Beryl was taking pictures and selfies for his Instagram, giving them the most bullshit poetic titles he could think of, like a fucking HOE- anyway... Uller looked annoyed at the assignment, why the hell do a bunch of students need to gather sap for a teacher, he promptly wanted to burn the forest down, while Yang was doing her best to prevent Uller from committing ecological arson. Weiss was listening to Glynda talk about their assignment and Blake was reading about the history of a forest of red trees from a textbook while periodically taking glances at the hidden parts of the forest, on guard from any stray Grimm. Pyrrha was walking not too far from them, taking worried glances at their leader as he struggled to carry a box full of glass jars while Nora poetically talked about pancakes and Ren was studying the trees around them, trying to look for a good one to extract sap from.
Glynda: "Each of you is to gather at least one jar worth of red sap. But beware, Grimm lurks within this forest and can very easily attack you out of nowhere. Stay on your toes and don't get too distracted."
Cardin: "Alright then! Let's go, buddy."
Cardin dragged the helpless Jaune with him, probably to carry his jars of red sap like a bitch or something. Pyrrha looked back at her leader with a saddened expression before joining her team and beginning to also gather red sap. Team RWBY wandered off a little bit with Weiss being very picky about which tree to use for the sap gathering. Blake just got the sap quite easily, sat under the tree and brought out a book to read, seeing that she had nothing else to do. Yang was next to a tree desperately attempting to open a jar, yet was comically failing and getting progressively angrier and angrier. Uller wasn't fairing well either, as he was trying to open the jar but it wouldn't budge, so he did the most Uller thing which was to say "Fuck it!" and smash the glass jar against a nearby tree. Surprise! The tree fucking shattered in two but the jar was unharmed. Some fucking adamantium jar, good lord. Beryl turned around and looked amazed at Ruby as she just popped her jar open and filled it with sap.
Ruby: "Hm? Need help?"
And just like that, POP, Beryl's jar is open. Uller saw that. Uller fucking saw that!
Uller / Yang: "HOW THE FUCK?!"
Ruby: "Hm? Need help too?"
Ruby proudly walked towards flabbergasted Uller and Yang while leaving an equally shocked Beryl behind. The girl was either stronger than Superman or she had some sort of a secret trick to opening jars. Damn, maybe she had a second semblance called "Jar Opener". As Yang once again had to stop Uller from burning the forest down, having to use all of her strength to wrestle him to the ground and prevent him from turning the forest into Australia. Pyrrha just lightly laughed at Beryl's expression making him pout and collect his sap in silence, which in turn made her laugh harder before she too started to collect red sap. After Beryl collected his sap he noticed that Jaune wasn't with them and turned to Pyrrha to ask why, but when he did he choked. Why? Well, turns out Pyrrha decided to bend over while collecting red sap while she's wearing a tight and low red skirt, you can pretty much guess what the sight was, you fucking perverts. Beryl took a nice long and detailed look at Pyrrha's magnificent derrière~ before a jar full of sap smashed against the top of his head.
Uller: "Get back to work, you horny bitch! Why did you even write that in there?"
Beryl: "Alright, you don't have to shout at me! And don't break the 4th wall, again, glue's expensive!"
With a grumble Beryl got back to gathering sap, popping one earphone into his ear and playing some background music. The white-haired boy continued to collect sap and to just dab on them motherfuckers as he zapped around the edges of the Forever Fall forest and filled the jars with the hardest to access trees he could find. Cause fuck you and your boring sap collection taxes.
Beryl: "If you wanna come rock with me~ Strap up cause there ain't nobody stoppin' me~ Oh hey Pyrrha!"
Beryl, by sheer accident, if you believe that lie, ended in the same spot he started. All of the jars he needed to fill were now full of delicious sweet sap he so painstakingly collected from the other fucking side of the world, aka the edge of the forest which is like... a five minute's walk away. Expectedly Pyrrha was quite surprised to see and hear Beryl just pop up out of nowhere behind her.
Pyrrha: "Wah! O-Oh hey Beryl! Didn't see you there..."
Beryl: "That's cuz I wasn't here."
Pyrrha: "Oh... is that so?"
Beryl: "Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..."
A loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong and deep hum escaped Beryl's throat as he scratched his chin, narrowing his eyes while studying Pyrrha's continually growing expression of discomfort and confusion. He got closer and closer, so much closer, that their noses were almost touching. It's of no surprise Pyrrha grew flustered at the sudden closeness, evident by the growing crimson hue on her cheeks before a figurative and literal lightbulb appeared above his head and he pulled back with a happy look of realisation on his face. Pointing with his index finger straight between Pyrrha's eyes, Beryl spoke while pausing after a word to add in a dramatic feel, whatever the hell that is.
Beryl: "AHA! YOU! ARE! BOTHERED! BY! SOMETHING!"
Pyrrha: "...Well you are not wrong, I suppose."
Beryl: "HAHAHA! Sherlock McGee Beryl strikes again! So what's up? Tell Dr Phil-House-Beryl what troubles you, my child."
Pyrrha: "Hahaha! I'm really envious of your happy attitude sometimes."
Beryl: "Good. Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-"
Pyrrha: "It's Jaune."
Beryl: "Aaaaah... you into him or something?"
Pyrrha: "W-What?! No! Not in that way! Jaune is my friend and leader so of course, I care about him."
Beryl: "D'aww~ So, spill the BËÄNS of truth and unveil the missing... something, I didn't think that rhyme through, readers can fill in the blank!"
Pyrrha: "Well, Jaune really hasn't been himself these last few days... I mean I know why but... I don't know why he left his team behind to join Cardin in whatever it is that they are doing."
Beryl: "Probably doing a dick-measuring contest. Not sure if Jaune qualifies there."
Pyrrha: "I... I don't think... I don't know how to even reply to that."
Beryl: "Hue-hue, my genius eludes your simple mind!"
Pyrrha: -giggles- "If you say so."
Beryl: "So... wanna go see what he's doin'?"
Pyrrha: "Should we really be doing that?"
Beryl: "Who gives a shit~?"
And so the white-haired virgin became a man... except not today. Beryl proceeded to drag Pyrrha in a completely random location since none of them was really aware of where Jaune and the team that literally nobody likes went. Ruby saw the two of them leaving and adopted the expression of jealousy and the ferocity of a hampter. So precious. Uller just took a long drag of his cigarette before exhaling a large puff of smoke, knowing exactly where the two were heading.
Ruby: "Let's follow them."
Uller: "Why, exactly?"
Yang: "Wonder where those two went~?"
Ruby: "LET'S FOLLOW THEM!"
Yang: "Oke!"
Uller: "Fuck not this again..."
And then the midnight smoker got dragged away by the blonde bombshell of team RWBY who followed her outraged and somewhat homicidal little sister. Picking Uller up and carrying him under her arm, Yang ran after the two speedsters and one very confused champion. Uller was not amused, being picked up and carried somewhere with no say in the matter. Was he going to do something? Hell no. That's a bridge he crosses when he gets there.
Poor Pyrrha had barely managed to keep herself on her feet as she was dragged by Beryl in a completely random direction at a speed that was only a fraction below the speed Ruby was capable of. Ruby was right on their tail, being very bad at stealth and Yang and Uller were the furthest back, the latter continuing to read the manga while Yang desperately attempted to keep up with Ruby.
-THUMP-
Ruby: "OOF!"
Beryl: "Roblox sounds!"
Their little goose chase hadn't lasted for long as Beryl abruptly stopped, making Pyrrha fling forward like a flag on a pole. Ruby due to the sudden stop SLAMMED into Beryl's back, but the immovable weeb had barely budged from his spot as Ruby rolled back from the inertia. Yang and Uller caught up to them soon after, managing to not hit anyone, but stopping nevertheless to promptly laugh at Ruby.
Ruby: "...Ouch..."
Pyrrha: "...Speed... bad..."
Uller was laughing his sadistic ass off at the unfortunate turn of events for both of the crimsonettes. Pyrrha looked about ready to hurl but she managed to fight back the feeling of nausea, mostly due to her training. Ruby... was alive, question mark? Thank Oum for aura otherwise she would literally be turned into a red stain along with our resident flashlight. Beryl, being the good boy he was, offered her a helping hand, she gladly took it and hopped to her feet.
Beryl: "Oh hey, Uller and Yang are here too! You guys wanna see what Jaune and his groupies are up to?"
Ruby: "...That's why you were leaving?"
Beryl: "Nyes."
Ruby: "...Ok."
Uller: "PFTHAHAHA, SHE LOOKS SO FUCKING DISAPPOINTED!"
Yang: "Awwww man..."
Pyrrha: "Wait, did you say Jaune and CRDL? They're here?"
Beryl: "Well, yeah, that's what I said."
Pyrrha: "We were walking in a random direction, turning left and right, even doing a full 180. How did you know where to even go?"
Beryl: "Well darling, I happen to have some good eyes!"
Uller: "Or he's batshit insane and found it by luck."
Yang: "Honestly, that makes more sense."
Beryl: "HEY! I was trying to look cool!"
Uller: "Keyword: trying. Well anyway, you said something about Jaune getting his shit kicked in? Let me through, I need to see this!"
The reason as to why the group stopped themselves became apparent, as Beryl dramatically presented the following scene, which would be quite saddening if it weren't for Jaune. Behind a small opening between the crimson trees and bushes lies a clearing, where mister golden boy himself, Jaune, was being held by Dove and Sky while Cardin punched Jaune in the face multiple times. Witnessing this rather pitiful beatdown, Pyrrha attempted to rush in to help her leader but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. Looking back, she saw Uller of all people holding her back, signalling her to let Jaune handle this with his eyes, which slightly confused Pyrrha. Uller usually wasn't one to act like this, so she fell victim to her curiosity and lowered her weapon. Back at the clearing, Jaune was pushed onto his back by a strong haymaker hitting his chest.
-CRUNCH- -CRUNCH-
Everyone turned to look at the white-haired individual of the group who was, surprisingly, eating from a bag of sour cream chips with 3D glasses on. They were not amused. Ruby did however try to reach for a chip, only to get her hand swatted away.
Beryl: "Mine."
Ruby: "BAH! Didn't you say sharing is caring?"
Beryl: "Not when I have to share, it ain't."
Anyway, Cardin "menacingly" walks towards Jaune and looms over him, sap covered and everything. Lifting the blond boy by his collar, Cardin stares deeply into Jaune's eyes, which sounds wrong fuck off I don't want to write that kind of a story. Anyway, Cardin glares at Jaune.
Cardin: You know Jaune, that wasn't a very smart move. I'll make sure they send you back home to your mommy in a box!"
Jaune: "I don't care what you do to me... but you are not messing with my team!"
Cardin: "What? Do you think talking like that makes you seem hot shit!?"
Jaune: "Heh, wow you really are a stereotypical bully."
Uller: "So you were listening, you little shit. And that's the thing you picked up on... okay then..."
Beryl: "Oooooooh, character development!"
Cardin: "Well let's see how much of a man you really are!!"
Due to Jaune's unusual cocky smirk, which could be the result of near-death delusions, Cardin prepares an anger-fuelled haymaker towards Jaune's face. Closing his eyes awaiting his demise, which would not come from a single fucking punch you blonde wuss, Jaune continues to hold his smirk. Just as the hit is about to connect with Jaune's beta male face, a massive and bright white light spreads across the clearing, blinding everyone, except Beryl and Uller, naturally.
Beryl: "WAH! FLASHBANGS ARE MY THING!"
Uller: "Wow, a bright light, haven't seen that anywhere before specifically not right beside me on my left kneeling behind the bush watching the fight."
Beryl: "HNNNGH! I call bullshit!"
Uller: "You of all cunts have no right to call bullshit Mr 'Igoatsuperluminalfuckingvelocityacrosstheworld' looking ass."
Beryl: "...Whatever, edgy microwave..."
After the bright flash disappeared, Cardin is seen laying on the ground, holding his hand in pain, while Jaune is on the ground, yet completely healed from bruises and a broken nose. Jaune looks at his hands as a faint white and golden glow radiates before dimming out. While Jaune is busy looking at his arms, Sky jumps Jaune from behind and roundhouse kicks him in the head, sending him to the ground.
Cardin: "I'm so going to beat you into a pulp, you coward!"
Jaune: "Coward?! In what way am I a coward compared to you?!"
Beryl: "He's got a point."
Uller: "Coward or not they are both fucking idiots."
However, just as Cardin was about to unleash another classic "fight back, fight back" beatdown, a low and menacing growl was heard right behind team CRDL. Turning around, Cardin manages to witness a large black paw adorned with jagged spikes crash right into his face, launching him backwards. Standing there with its face shadowed out by the shade, a large Ursa roared into the air, frightening everyone within the clearing.
Russel: "HOLY SHIT!! THAT'S A BIG URSA!!"
Sky: "Run for your lives!"
Cardin attempts to rise up from the ground and retaliate against the Ursa, but his weapon is knocked away from him. The weapon lands moments later at Jaune's feet. The Ursa sniffs the air and turns its attention towards a cowering Jaune. Locking eyes, a quick second passes before the Grimm simply continues its walk towards Cardin, clearly uninterested in Jaune, as one would. Despite Jaune's clearly higher fear factor, the Ursa seemed dead set on having Cardin as dinner. Maybe it's the sap that covered Cardin's chest plate? Probably. Most likely, you know what happened in the show. Hearing the massive roar echo through the forest, the rest of team RWBY and JNPR arrived to meet the others observing the battle. Weiss attempted to jump into the battle, her weapon readied at her side, or well she was until Uller grabbed her from the back of her collar and pulled her back. Getting an annoyed and confused look from the princess, Uller looked at her and everyone around him.
Uller: "No, don't intervene. This is Jaune's battle, he needs to win this."
Beryl: "What the shit? You're being way too cooperative..."
Uller: "If he dies it's one less idiot to listen to. And I need to see if he's what he says he is."
Weiss: "Are you sure you aren't just bored?"
Uller: "Never ruled that fact out."
Beryl: "To be fair this is pretty entertaining -crunch-."
Ruby: "Uhm... are you sure Jaune can handle this on his own?"
Uller: "Hehehe, of course not!"
Beryl: "Bruh, I can literally move at light speed."
Uller: "...What..."
Ruby: "Okay?"
Beryl: "That means I can save him if he can't do shit after all! And look good while doing it!"
Uller: "Yeah sure, not what I was talking about at all, but go off I guess."
Blake: "...What a brilliant master plan."
Beryl: "Thank you."
Blake: "..."
Back in the clearing, everyone watches as Cardin, rather pathetically, attempts to battle the large Ursa. Which is really fucking weird, he's a damn huntsman-in-training, how can he not win against a fucking Ursa?! Huoh, anyway, as the large Ursa swings its paw downwards towards Cardin's horrid face, it's suddenly blocked by Jaune of all people. His shield, Crocea Mors, intercepts the strike, rather shakily might I add. Jaune gathers every last bit of strength he has and takes his shield out from underneath the Ursa's paw, and with his sword slashes its stomach. The cut ends up being rather shallow and does nothing more than cosmetic damage to the Ursa's body as the massive bear swats the poor blonde boy away like a ragdoll. The moment Jaune hits the ground he embeds his blade into the soft dirt beneath him, managing to stop his movement in an instant before plucking the blade out of the ground and charging at the Grimm. The Ursa tries swatting Jaune away again with one of its large and sharp paws, however, Jaune's actually learning something from this battle and manages to bring his shield up in time to block the initial strike of the attack. By pure luck he managed to weaken his own grip enough so that the shield could tilt a bit to the side, allowing him to unintentionally parry the large Grimm's attack. Seizing the small opportunity, Jaune stabbed his sword forwards, aiming the sharp tip of it at Ursa's face. However... The grizzly monster was anything but a pushover.
-CLANG-
Unfortunately, the Ursa's bones and ingenuity were superior to Jaune's. His blade ended up in the Grimm's throat, however, the sharp bones making up its jaw and teeth stopped the blade as soon as it entered its mouth. In a desperate attempt to salvage the situation, Jaune attempted to pry the blade out of the bear's jaws but had no luck. The strength of the Ursa coupled with the friction the bones and the sword created prevented Jaune from so much as budging his own sword. Panic overtook Jaune's nervous system as the Ursa quickly lifted its head up and literally forced itself to quickly fall backwards, sending the much lighter student into the air along with his now free sword.
Jaune: "...Huh...?"
No thoughts, head empty. The sudden shift in direction and the lack of ground beneath his feet made Jaune's mind blank for a quick second. He slowly regained his senses enough to feel the wind blowing through his hair, right before-
-THUD-
-his back slammed into the fucking ground and forced all the air in his lungs to escape. Coughing loudly and fighting back the urge to scream, Jaune uses every ounce of his willpower to force his body to stand yet again, but it was quite obvious that he has taken some damage from that fall.
The large Ursa lifts its paw into the air, preparing to end the fight with a massive overhead swing. Jaune attempts a similar thing, taking a hold of his sword with both hands and doing a massive wind up into an upward slice. However, since Jaune is not the main protagonist, he has left himself wide open for the Grimm's attack, and since the beast is much stronger, faster, sturdier, larger, you get the picture, Jaune would certainly lose. Seeing the inevitable loss of her leader, Pyrrha attempts to lift her hand and use her semblance to assist Jaune, but is too late on the draw. Uller's golden eyes begin glowing, as he lifts his right arm in front of him and forms a flaming card between his index and middle finger. A bright orange joker card, quite fitting. With a quick flick of his wrist, the flaming card soars through the air, keeping itself low on the ground. Travelling only half a second, it reaches its destination, the Ursa's foot. Upon touching said foot, the card explodes into a controlled and tiny explosion, ripping off a small chunk of flesh from the Grimm's leg. Staggering from the surprise attack, the Ursa's downward attack misses Jaune completely, allowing the golden bow to connect his strike and cleanly slice the Ursa's head off. As the head falls onto the ground, along with the severed body, everyone behind the bushes turns to look at Uller, whose fingers emit a light smoke.
Ruby: "Uhmm..."
Yang: "What?"
Uller: "THIS is what I meant by 'he can't do it alone'"
Pyrrha: "And why did you wait till Jaune was moments away from getting mauled?"
Uller: "Do you really not get it? Do I really need to spell it out to you?"
Beryl: "Character development, that's what he is trying to say in his unnecessarily cryptic way. What are you, Ozpin?"
Ruby: "Please do, you're acting very OOC now"
Uller: "...Beryl has corrupted your mind, small child. Anyway, Jaune needs a confidence boost, he can't grow if his head is separated from his neck. He just needed some small help, hehehe."
Rising from behind the bush, Uller begins walking towards the clearing, where Jaune looks at his weapons while smiling. Cardin, still covered in slimy stuff, sees a shadow forming over him and looks up to see Jaune standing in front of him with his hand stretched out. Taking the offer, Jaune helps Cardin back on his feet. As Cardin begins to freak out about what happened, Jaune doesn't let go of his hand and begins gripping it harder.
Cardin: "Holy shit Jaune, what the hell just happened!?"
Jaune: "Do not ever mess with my team, my FRIENDS, ever again, do you understand me, you slimy cunt!"
Uller: "...I'm so fucking proud right now. Beryl, you are hereby disowned."
Beryl: "I deny your disownment of myself!"
Uller: "I deny your denial of your disownment."
Beryl: "I deny your denial of my denial of my disownment!"
Uller: "Go piss in your mouth."
As Cardin leaves the area with his head held down, Uller appears behind Jaune and slaps the back of his head, being launched into the ground by the force of Uller's slap. Lifting himself from the ground, Jaune is suddenly picked up by the back of his collar and brought standing up. Glancing back, Jaune witnesses Uller with a smirk behind him, tapping him on the shoulder.
Uller: "Well well well, won't you look at that, you really did do it. 2 out of 3 things I suggested, almost a perfect 100%!"
Jaune: "Huh? Uller? You were watching?!"
Uller: "Hell yeah I was, you were fighting against an Ursa, it's kinda hard not to be alerted."
Jaune: "Oh... well did I at least succeed?"
Uller: "Well, judging by mister birdshit sulking over there, I'd say you cut the contract. Good job mate and I don't say that often."
Jaune: "Heh, well let's just say I had some good motivation... well you and a lot of fear and anxiety."
Uller: "Oh stop it you, no seriously stop it, you're acting way too nice..."
Beryl: "Nice job getting your ass kicked by the way, quite spectacular, 8/10 on the fall."
Jaune: "...I'll uh... take that as a compliment?"
Beryl: "Good. Now... I wanna eat."
Uller: "Again?"
Beryl: "Bitch what do you mean again, it has been like three hours since lunch!"
Blake: "Didn't you just finish eating a bag of chips?"
Beryl: "How are chips supposed to sate my hunger?"
Uller: "This fucker eats more than an eldritch god."
Ruby: "Hehe, Cthulu Beryl."
Uller: "DO NOT give me the image of a tentacle monster Beryl."
Yang: "Alright everyone, now that the show's over, let's leave this goddamn place!"
Nora: "FOOD!"
Uller: "Oh shit I forgot you were here."
Ren: "It appears we were too late for the fight. At least Jaune is alright, that's all that matters."
Beryl: "Hiya bestie!"
Nora: "HEYYY! So what happened here?"
Beryl: "Oh you know, just some light bullying, struggling for dear life and killing an Ursa."
Nora: "... That sounds so cool! Good job Jauney, I knew you could do it!"
Jaune: "Hehe, Thanks Ren and Nora."
Weiss: "Yes yes, good jobs and all that. Can we now please leave before more Grimm shows up."
Uller: "Who the hell made you the leader?"
Yang: "Weiss is right, let's get out of here. And do I need to carry you again, Uller, or will you follow us?"
Uller: "You'd only be inconveniencing yourself, it doesn't affect my mornings."
Yang: "That wasn't a no then!"
Once again, lifting Uller up and hoisting him above her shoulder, Yang began walking out of the clearing along with the rest of Team RWBY and BEUL. Team JNPR were the only ones left at the clearing, with Jaune looking at Pyrrha rather awkwardly, before all of them followed the rest. While walking back to the other students and professor Goodwitch, Beryl and Ruby continued looking at random memes on Beryl's phone, not allowing a calm silence to overtake the group. Weiss and Blake were the ones at the front of the group, setting the pace and for their own safety, looking out for Grimm. Uller continued reading his manga while Yang also read along with him, taking glances at the book which was near her head.
Upon making their way back to the airships which transported the students in and out of the forest, Glynda Goodwitch rushes towards the group of idiots to check on them and to, of course, lecture them about wandering too far and recklessly fighting against a Grimm without appropriate help. None of the people really took in that info, they were busy doing literally anything else than listening to some blabbering.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Later that night, when the warm sun made way for a pleasantly cool moon, within the rooftop of one of the dorm buildings stood Jaune looking up at the stars, thinking back to what had happened. His attention was quickly broken by a certain bright red coloured spartan woman. Turning around, Jaune saw Pyrrha walking up the stairs leading towards the rooftop.
Pyrrha: "So, no Cardin today? I thought you two were best friends?"
Jaune: "Pyrrha... I'm sorry. I was a real jerk... You were only trying to help and... I had this stupid nonsense macho bullshit in my head and-"
Pyrrha: "Jaune! Jaune, it's okay. Your team really misses their leader, you know. You should come back, Ren made some pancakes, better hurry before Nora vacuums them all away!"
Jaune: "... Wait!... I know I don't deserve it after all the things I caused, but... would you still be willing to help me... become a better fighter?"
Not turning around, Pyrrha kept her face hidden from Jaune for a suspicious amount of time, making the blond boy nervous. Finally walking up to Jaune, Pyrrha swiftly shoves Jaune onto the ground, earning a very confused "Hey!" from him. Smiling, Pyrrha extended his arm to help Jaune off of the ground.
Jaune: "Hey! What was that for?!"
Pyrrha: "Your stance is all wrong. You need to be wider and lower to the ground. Let's try this again, okay?"
Jaune: "... Heh, sure."
Pyrrha: "Oh I didn't mean that for you!"
Jaune: "What now?"
Before Jaune can register Pyrrha's words, a swift small fireball flew from behind Pyrrha straight into Jaune's stomach, once again sending the poor boy to the ground. Looking up again, this time Jaune saw Uller walking up the same steps, a mischievous smile on full display, his golden eyes shining brighter than the now gone sun.
Uller: "You also need to hone your reaction time, that was pathetic."
Jaune: "Uller??? So you're here to train me as well!"
Pyrrha: "Oh no, he said he's here to spectate!"
Uller: "And to throw in a surprise fireball, knife, bullet etc. every once in a while."
Jaune: "... I feel I might be in danger."
Uller: "Good observation! Now get to dodging, a right hook on your left."
Jaune: "What-"
-PUNCH-
Uller: "This will take a while... should have brought a drink with me."
...
...
...
"Instead of a sword I wanted a baby doll that shoots lasers out of its eyes, but mom said no."
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Braggski: Yup.